Pineapple Kalua Pork On The Smoker for Hawaiian Salads (and more)

One of the advantages of buying all sorts of spices, herbs and salts (that I may or may not use right away) is when I decide on a new recipe to try, there's a damned good possibility I might just have everything I need on hand. As was the case when I decided to duplicate the Hawaiian Salad with kalua pork from Nalu Hawaiian Surf Bar & Grille in Bethany Beach, DE. Yep, another of the dishes we enjoyed so much on vacation that we needed to do it again at home. 

The salad itself is fairly simple...just a matter of assembling the various components that make it "Hawaiian." What would that be? First and foremost, smoky kalua pork. We'll talk about that in a minute. The rest? Pineapple, of course, and mango, banana chips, coconut chips (Trader Joes!), macadamia nuts all mounded on a (not just Hawaiian) base of lettuce and baby spinach. 

The dressing? A decadent rich and creamy pineapple tahini dressing. The surprising thing about duplicating the dressing is that my version is relatively low in calories! Only 39 calories to 1/4 cup of dressing. You'd never guess. The Belgian endive in the pic? Decidedly NOT Hawaiian, but I'm guessing they used the spears to look life surfboards in the sand at the beach...that's what they looked like to me anyway.

Okay, back to the kalua pork. Most recipes I've seen call for the use of liquid smoke. Come on. Really? King Kamehameha's chefs had liquid smoke on hand? I'm thinking that's a no. Why not be a (little) more authentic and put some real smoke on this baby?! What's the point of having a smoker if you don't use it instead of the fake stuff? So I did. I didn't, however, wrap the pork in banana leaves. (Hmmmmm...maybe a stealthy trip to Phipps Conservatory would have been just the thing. Just kidding!)

Anyway, here's what Kimber and I came up with and I have to say it was every bit as good as the original. And the Pineapple Coconut Tahini Dressing was even better! I'd say it was `Ono Lani. That's "delicious heaven" in Hawaiian!

The Hawaiian Salad we enjoyed at Nalu Hawaiian Surf Bar & Grille in Bethany Beach, DE

Pineapple Kalua Pork on the Smoker 

for Hawaiian Salad

• 2 pork tenderloins, pierced all over with a knife
• 1 head garlic, cloves separated, paper skins removed, smashed
• 2" long piece of fresh ginger, peeled, cut into coins and smashed
• 2 C fresh pineapple with all the juices
• 1 T Salish Alderwood smoked salt (look for it in your local gourmet food shop or order it from Gourmet Delights like I do)
• 1 1/2 t coarse black lava Hawaiian salt (check Amazon)
• 1 t Hawaaian pink salt (check Amazon)

In a gallon size zip top bag, mix together the garlic, ginger, pineapple and the salts. Add the pork tenderloins, squeeze out all the air, seal and evenly distribute the marinade mixture evenly around the tenderloins. Marinate 12-24 hours.

The next day, prepare your smoker and set the temp to 225 degrees. Remove the tenderloins from the bag, pour the marinade into the water bowl in your smoker along with water to fill. Smoke the tenderloins until they reach an internal temp of 180 degrees or until still moist and tender, but beginning to fall apart. Take it off and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before pulling.

Because a tenderloin is a long muscle, before I "pulled" the pork, I cut it into 2" slices across the grain and then pulled it. It's ready now to use in the salad or sandwiches on King's Hawaiian buns! If using in sandwiches, use a little pineapple juice to moisten the pork and maybe a little Asian-style BBQ sauce. Delicious!

Now for the dressing:

Pineapple Coconut Tahini Dressing

• approx 3/4 C fresh pineapple chunks
• approx 1/4 C tahini
• 2 T mirin
• 1 T rice wine vinegar
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 2 T cream of coconut (yep, the same stuff you use in a pina colada!)

Throw everything into a blender and let 'er rip!

Hawaiian Salad ala Nalu Hawaiian Surf Bar & Grille

• mixed greens of baby spinach and lettuces of choice
• a few spears (surfboards) of Belgian endive
• fresh pineapple chunks
• coconut chips (yes, I forgot to put them on the salad before the pic! But we put them on when we ate it!)
• macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
• banana chips
• fresh mango, diced
• kalua pork
• pineapple coconut tahini dressing

In a shallow bowl, make a bed of spinach and lettuce, top with the above and enjoy! Aloha!

  

Look! Up In The Sky! It's A Bird? It's A Superhero Cocktail!

You know I don't need much of an excuse to whip up a cocktail and this morning was no exception. Kimber and Jenn (101 Achievements blogger with her husband Michael) both ran in the Superhero 5K this bright and early morn. The run was for the benefit of The Superhero Foundation which fights the crusade against child abuse. 

Superheroes of all varieties - The Hulk, Batman and The Flash, caped superhero dogs and babies, even Superman himself to name a very few - ran side by side to help victims of child abuse. Superheroes to the rescue!

Wonder Woman and Katniss Everdeen

From the beginning, Jenn joked about having a cocktail waiting for her and Kimber at the finish line. Me? Cocktail? You know I did! 

The Beach Bum Berry tiki drink, the Jungle Bird, has been making the rounds on Facebook the last day or two so that seemed like a good jumping off point for a little riff. 

Hum (a lovely liqueur of hibiscus, ginger, cardamom and kaffir lime in a rum base made right here in Pittsburgh for Hum Spirits) subbed in for the Campari used in the original recipe. I used Mount Gay Rum instead of aged rum, cinnamon syrup in place of simple syrup (because that's what I had in the fridge...frugal you know), and because we'd be imbibing before noon, I lightened it up with a spritz of seltzer just before serving. And besides, pineapple juice is a great breakfast accompaniment and there's plenty of it in the cocktail so its perfectly appropriate in the morning! 

Look. Up in the sky. It's A Bird!

The unfancy version of It's A Bird?...perfectly acceptable apres run in the parking lot.

It's A Bird!

Makes enough for 4 large or 8 small cocktails

• 3 oz. cinnamon simple syrup (see note below for recipe)
• 12 oz. Mount Gay rum
• 6 oz. Hum 
• 12 oz. pineapple juice
• 4 oz. fresh lime juice
• seltzer or club soda

Mix all but the club soda in a small pitcher. Add lots of ice to a glass, pour the cocktail over and top with seltzer. Cheers!

Cinnamon syrup: In a small pot, bring 1/2 C water and 1/2 C demerara sugar to a boil and stir until dissolved. Add 3 cinnamon sticks to the hot liquid and let cool. Remove all but 1 cinnamon stick and pour the cooled liquid and remaining cinnamon stick into a Mason jar, cap and refrigerate. Keeps 1-2 weeks.

 

Summer State Of Mind In The Midst Of Winter - A Rum Drink

Okay, I'm in denial. But as cold and snowy as it is out there, I still think summer is a state of mind. 

Inspired by these adorable little mini-pineapples, a warm weather tiki-ish drink HAD to be concocted! Two kinds of rum, a little Don's Mix for tiki-ness, fresh lime, pineapple and Meyer lemon juices capped with a dash of Tiki bitters from Bittermens and I know it was summer...at least in my hand for a moment.

So what if its fluffy snow and not snow white sand? So what if it's just a wee bit chilly out there? Put a tiki drink in my hand and the snows melt, the sun shines, the seagulls squawk and the waves swoosh around my toes...in my mind it IS summer...until the REAL thing is here. And for now, that's good enough. Well, almost anyway.

Summer State Of Mind

• 1 1/2 oz. Zaya rum
• 1 1/2 oz. Mt. Gay rum
• 1 oz. Don's Mix - see recipe below
• 1/4 oz. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 oz. fresh Meyer lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
• 6-8 drops Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters (tropical flavors of cinnamon, allspice and other island spices) - optional
• crushed ice

Stir together both rums, Don's mix, juices and bitters together. Fill a glass, small tiki mug or hollowed out tiny pineapple with crushed ice. Pour the cocktail over the ice, garnish with colorful paper umbrellas, fancy straws, pineapple leaves...anything that makes you smile and forget the winter. Escape to the beach....aaaaaahhhhhhh.......

Don's Mix: 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks -  slightly crushed, 1 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.

In a small saucepan, mix sugar and water, add cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain out cinnamon sticks. When the syrup is cool, add grapefruit juice. Store in a covered jar or bottle. Keeps 1-2 weeks stored in the fridge.

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! - Appetizers For a Very Tiki New Year

Does the recent, refound popularity of Tiki mean we Americans are looking for a return to the exotic drinks, quirky ceramic mugs and laid back culture of the alluring, romantic Pacific Islands? Are we Pittsburghers looking for an escape to the gentle sway of both palm trees and the hips of grass-skirted maidens, to  the colorful parrot-shirted, straw-hatted, bronzed godlike men who symbolize the Tiki lifestyle? Could we be seeking tiki huts and bamboo torches to light the way to a hidden get-away far from cold, harsh winds, sleet and snow? Maybe we ARE looking for paradise. In a tiki mug. We're looking for our very own personal tropical escape....if only in our minds and for just a moment. 

Tiki underground whispers have been growing in volume over the last couple of years as new Tiki bars have popped up across the country and old ones have found new appreciation. Listen closely, the silence might reveal the sound of distant tribal drums, lapping waves and raucous bird calls from softly swaying coconut palms above as the culture known as Tiki quietly reemerges from it's golden heydays of the 40's and 50's. And it's happening here. In Pittsburgh. 

Which brings me to two Tiki-inspired recipes I've whipped up lately for a few little Tiki get-togethers I've been lucky enough to be a part of. Kona Kahiki Tiki Ribs and Coconut Lime Chicken Sticks with a Pineapple Coconut Lime Dipping Sauce. The ribs were a creation using Kona coffee, lime zest, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and toasted almonds for a group of fellow tikiphiles one recent evening. 

The chicken was created for a weekend Mele Kalikimaka Tiki Christmas party held by another fellow tiki fan. Actually, the chicken was originally created for last summer's Jimmy Buffet tailgate and was such a hit we had to do it all over again. Why not serve this hit for New Year's, too?!

Unfortunately, the pics aren't very good because time was of the essence in getting the goodies to the parties. The photos were snapped with a cellphone in less than idealistic conditions. Who cares?! The food was fresh, hot and GOOD! Photos were a minor player. Suffice it to say, the food did stay around long enough to snap many pics anyway. What would you prefer, pretty pics or food for friends that flies off the table? Yeah, that's what I thought.

The cocktails at the recent events? Some of the best of the BEST Tiki drinks created by none other than Lucky the Painproof Man, Greta the Grass Skirt Goddess, Max Stein (no knickname that I'm privy to), Chip Homer, Adambomb, Dr. Bamboo, Mike Basista (food photographer extraordinaire - and NO, he isn't responsible for the photos here - these are mine) and many, many more Tiki talents from around the 'Burgh.

Lucky the Painproof Man

The Coconaut - by Lucky

Greta and flaming Tiki drinks!

 


Just in case you want to ring in the New Year with some new, different and delicious appetizers, here are the recipes. Aloha...and mahalo, friends! Oh...and Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

Kona Kahiki Tiki Ribs

Kona Kahiki Tiki Ribs

 

• 1/4 cup ground Kona coffee (I get mine at Nicholas Coffee in Market Square) - a much less expensive Hawaiian variety called Cantui Red is FABULOUS!
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds, finely ground in the food processor - caution, don't let it go too long or you'll have almond butter!
• 2 tablespoons demerara sugar
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh gingerroot 
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

• 1 rack babyback pork ribs, silverskin removed (check online for a method to perform this maneuver...Google it...it's easy, but complicated to describe)

In a small bowl, mix all rub ingredients well - I mash mine together with a fork. 

Massage 1/2 of the rub into one side of the ribs, the other half on the other side of the ribs. Do this at least 4 hours before or overnight. Wrap them well in plastic wrap.
 
The next day, bring them to room temp and set the oven to 325 degrees. 

Take the plastic wrap off the ribs, rewrap them in heavy duty aluminum foil and seal well. Put the foil-wrapped ribs into a large roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet that will comfortably hold the ribs. 

Cook for 3 hours or until tender, just shy of falling off the bone. Remove from oven; open the foil, exposing the ribs completely.

Raise the oven temp to 400 degrees, put the ribs back in and let 'er rip for half an hour. 

NOTE: I made 3 racks of babyback and they disappeared in a flash!

NOTE 2: Costco has absolutely GORGEOUS babybacks - SO meaty - packed 3 racks to a pack. These are the meatiest, tenderest, most wonderful babybacks I've ever had. And reasonably priced!

Coconut Lime Chicken Sticks 

with Pineapple Coconut Lime Dipping Sauce

• 3 chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise into long, narrow sticks

• 1/2 cup panko, breadcrumbs - I get gluten free ones at Soergels to make this GF
• 2 limes, zested and juiced, reserve the juice
• 1 cup coconut flakes, toasted in a 300 degree oven until golden - watch closely so it doesn't burn - cool
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1/3 cup coconut cream, Yes, the thick, gloppy stuff you use to make Pina Coladas - GREAT for making a marinade that STICKS!
• 1/2 of the juice you reserved above
• 1/4 cup hot sauce, Busha Browne's Pukka Sauce is what I use - get it at Reyna's in the Strip District...AMAZING stuff and perfect for this recipe!
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

• coconut oil, you'll need both the solid oil AND a coconut oil spray - my fave spray is from Trader Joe's and fave solid is from Costco

Mix up the breading and set aside - panko through Kosher salt.
 
Mix the marinade - coconut cream through granulated garlic. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade.  In a large bowl or large plastic zip top bag, toss the remaining marinade and chicken strips together and refrigerate for 4 hours or even overnight.
 
When ready to bake, turn the oven to 450 degrees. Put the breading mixture into a large bowl and a toss few strips at a time in the dredge, coating well. Set aside onto a sheet of plastic wrap or foil. 

Once the chicken is all coated, put a lump - maybe 2 T. - of coconut oil onto a large baking sheet WITH A RIM(!!!!) or 2. Put them into the oven just to melt the oil. Then lay the chicken sticks onto the oiled RIMMED baking sheets leaving room between for browning. Spray the tops with coconut oil spray to ensure browning and crisping. 

Bake for 20 minutes on one side, turn each to the other side and continue baking until crisp and browned...maybe another 10 minutes - watch carefully. Remove from oven.
 
Sauce: At some point during marinating or baking, make the sauce. Mix together the reserved marinade (that you DID NOT marinate the chicken in!), 1 T. white vinegar, the juice of the other lime still remaining from above, 1 small can of crushed pineapple (drained WELL...almost to dry), 1 t. granulated garlic and 1 t. salt. Taste and adjust seasonings. This is a perfect balance to the chicken.
 
I love to serve the sauce in a hollowed out half pineapple shell with the fresh pineapple chunks alongside and the top as a pretty platter garnish!
 

Bacon Pineapple Chicken Skewers with Asian Orange Glaze

Nothing like coming home from a long day at work...or a 7 hour road trip...and still having time to grill a good meal. Burgers? Nope. Almost just as easy, yet just a little more interesting was what I had in mind. 
 
I knew we already had the ingredients for a good shish-kabab. There was a fresh pineapple that had been intended for another dinner on the counter NEEDING to be used and there was bacon in the fridge (just between you and me, there is ALWAYS bacon in the fridge!). Eternally versatile and endlessly adaptable, boneless chicken breast was the third choice for a light and satisfying, threaded-onto-wooden-skewers summer evening dinner on the deck.

(Entertaining a few friends? You could whip these up on smaller skewers as an appetizer, too.)
 
Once the kabobs were cooked through on the grill, a quick baste of an orange marmalade, garlic, soy sauce and cayenne pepper mixture added a nice zippy accent that glazed them to picture perfection. 

All that was left was to plate the skewers on a bed of Romaine lettuce, add a drizzle of extra glaze whisked with a little champagne vinegar as a dressing and our Bacon Pineapple Chicken Skewers made a lovely and light meal for one weary traveler. 

Easy clean-up, too! At least it was easy when the hubby cleaned up the kitchen while I relaxed the miles off my weary-from-the-driver's-seat tush. Thanks!

 Bacon Pineapple Chicken Skewers 

with Asian Orange Glaze

Serves 4 as an entree, 6-8 as appetizers

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cored, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
• 10 slices bacon, cooked slightly, don't let it crisp!

• 6 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce (wheat-free tamari to make this GF or regular soy sauce if gluten isn't an issue for you)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to your taste - you know I like more!
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic

Soak 10 wooden skewers for at least an hour in water - add salt to the water to help season the chicken and pineapple from the inside out! I used 4" appetizer size skewers.

Ready for the glaze, a close up view of the alternating assembly.         Easy...you can do it!

 

Skewers Assembly: When the skewers are ready, thread a chicken cube, then an end of the bacon, a pineapple cube, fold the bacon back and skewer again, then the chicken, fold the bacon over, the pineapple...you get the idea. Just keep alternating chicken and pineapple and weaving the bacon back and forth until the skewer is full. Set aside.
 

Glaze: Mix the marmalade, tamari, cayenne and granulated garlic well. Set aside.
 

Preheat the grill and grill the skewers over a slow heat turning occasionally until the chicken is cook through on all sides. Once they are done, baste the glaze on one side and turn. Let them grill until the glaze is set on the first side, turn again and set the glaze on the second side. Remove to a clean plate and serve.
 

NOTE: You can mix up another batch of the glaze, add a tablespoon of champagne or rice wine vinegar to it, stir and there you have a dipping sauce for the kebabs. Do NOT use the glaze leftover from basting the skewers because they will be contaminated with raw chicken from basting.

Moinks & Beans...Even Better Than Pork & Beans!

Pork n beans. Moinks n beans. What?! Moinks? Never heard of them? Neither had I until about a year ago when we started getting more and more into this whole smoking thing. 

Moinks are pork meatballs, wrapped in bacon and smoked.  The name? I think it comes from the 'M' in Meatball and the 'OINK' in the pig. Moink.

Sunday's smoking consisted of ribs with pineapple jalapeno glaze, a simple on-sale salmon steak (only 1 because Mark won't eat anything that swims) and Moinks. While we ate the ribs that evening, the salmon was planned for a couple salads for work. The Moinks became an appetizer (mainly because we couldn't wait to try them!), treats for neighbors and the rest became dinner for another night. When we smoke, we make the most of it...you don't waste the smoke.

The beans? Lots of pineapple was left from the marinade and rib baste - jalapenos too - so both became part of the baked beans I'd planned as a side to the ribs. Because I bake my doctored up beans for at least an hour - sometimes longer, I even used the core of the pineapple in the beans instead of tossing it out. I learned that thrifty trick from Graham Kerr, The Galloping Gourmet, long, looooonnng ago. The pineapple core becomes tender when it cooks! A good tip for Asian stir fries, too.

The fresh pineapple added LOTS of sweetness (and a nice bit of tartness, too), so I didn't add the brown sugar or molasses I usually do, but I DID add just a little kick of bourbon and a little bottled barbecue sauce along with the jalapeno. The result? One that will be repeated! Often. 

In fact, my son-in-law wants me to bring a dish of them when I visit them in Michigan next weekend. Maybe we'll even throw a few Moinks on his smoker.  Why not?! They couldn't be easier.

Moinks

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound sausage meat, hot sausage if you wish...I wish!
• 7 slices bacon, thin sliced bacon

Mix the pork and sausage well - it helps to let the meat come almost to room temp first. Shape golfball sized meatballs and set aside until all are done.
 
Cut the bacon strips in half and wrap a half slice of bacon around the circumference of each meatball. Secure with a toothpick or slide several moinks onto metal skewers. (If you use wooden skewers, be sure to soak those right along with the hickory chips for at least an hour so they don't burn.) Chill the moinks in the fridge until the smoker is ready to go.

 
Prepare the smoker as you normally would for whatever type of smoker YOU use. I like hockory chips for these, so soak them at least an hour ahead. When the smoker is to temp, scatter some soaked hickory chips on the coals.
 
Place the skewers of moinks on the grate, cover and smoke until cooked through and bacon is golden.
 
NOTE: You can do these on the grill, too. Be sure to keep the flame low and use indirect heat so the bacon drippings don't ignite. 

Pineapple, Jalapeno, Bourbon BBQ Baked Beans

Serves 8

• 1 cup pineapple, fresh, diced small, core and all
• 2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, very finely diced - red or green
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 15 ounces black beans, drained
• 28 ounces baked beans, do NOT drain
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, hickory, bottled
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 7 slices bacon, cut into thirds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
 
Combine everything but the bacon and mix well. Pour into a large casserole dish and cover the top evenly with bacon.
 
Bake 1 - 1/2 hours or until the bacon is cooked, crisp and browned. 

Fellow Food Bloggers and Cocktail Cohorts - The Brunch

Occasionally - not always - some of the best plans are hatched among friends around the bar. As I recall, the idea arose around a discussion of tiki drinks, which led to building the perfect pina colada, which led to the question, "Have you ever had a grilled pina colada?" Which naturally then led to the next question, "When are you going to have US over for brunch?!" Thus the plan AND the brunch was born.

Bloody Mary Bar - Just the beginning!                 Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

 
Dessert was already set...grilled pina coladas, of course. And Bloody Marys because, in my humble opinion, there is no brunch without bloodies. Two kinds actually - a standard one for non-adventurers, and a not-for-the-faint-of-heart version kicked up with reconstituted dried guajillo peppers and chile de arbol peppers, fresh garlic and jalapenos, mesquite smoked salt and some other fun stuff thrown in for good measure. Okay...drinks and dessert are set, what else? (Imagine the thrumming of fingertips on tabletop while pondering the question....) 

Smoked Pork Belly on the left, Grilled Paiche on the right - both with ALL the fixings!                Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Breakfast tacos! (NO! I just realized I forgot to make dippy eggs! Drat.) Sans the dippy eggs, we managed to make do with roasted mojo pork, grilled paiche fish (the fishmongers behind the glass at Whole Foods assured me it was a mild, sweet and delicious pick - and it was on sale!) and smoked pork belly that I'd rubbed the night before. Mark got up early to get it on the smoker by 6:00 a.m.! 

With breakfast tacos, naturally there were black beans, jalapeno coleslaw, cilantro lime crema and pickled red onions as traditional accompaniments. A huge coconut rum fruit salad filled in the holes...oh, and a batch of key lime coconut bars, too.  
 

Sure food is important at a brunch, but with the cocktail geeks and bartenders in attendance, there must be fabulous cocktails! And there were. Each guest was requested to bring the requirements for his or her favorite or signature cocktail. Boy oh BOY, did they come through! 

Michael with Blackberry Mezcal Julep   Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Jenn and Michael (of the blog 101 Achievements fame) made a variation on a julep...made with mezcal (instead of bourbon) and blackberries along with the required julep ingredient, mint. Smoky, sweet and minty with a kick. Marvelous.

Tiki Max in the midst of the 1934 Zombie creative process!   
Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Max and Chip (of RhoMania) brought some amazing rums and homemade syrups they magically turned into classic tiki drinks. Max's authentic tiki mugs were the icing on the cake...or the lime in the coconut? Max made not just any old Zombie, but the original 1934 Zombie recipe using hand-cranked crushed ice, no less. Next up was the 151 Swizzle!

Dave and Gail discussing proper Mai Tai preparation.   Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto  

One beautifully garnished Mai Tai Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

 


That wasn't the end of the tiki drinks, folks. Fellow former mixology classmates, Gail and Dave, created Mai Tais that were simply out of this world. The making of the tiki drink for them was just a warm up for their tropical themed wedding in LESS THAN A MONTH. Awwwwww. Mark and I already have our tropical attire ready to dance at their wedding.

Marie, Gail, Dave - Where was Brian?!
Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

What did our Acacia bartender guests, Marie and Brian, make? Absolutely nothing. On their day off, we guaranteed them they wouldn't be making drinks for anyone, it was their turn to be served! Maybe the drinks made for them weren't as wonderful as what they normally make for us, but we tried our darndest. If nothing else, a good time was had by all in the sunshine and the breezes under the big umbrella with full bellies and drinks in each of our hands. 

Photo credit - Jenn Tkocs & Michael Scotto

Grilled Pina Colada

Makes 4

• 1 fresh pineapple, outside removed, cored and cut into 3/4" slices
• 1 cup coconut flakes, toasted
• 1 cup caramel topping, good quality (I prefer Richardson's)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup rum, Meyers dark rum, coconut rum, whatever kind you prefer - I used Kraken spiced rum this time!
• 4 scoops ice cream, Talenti's coconut gelato
• fresh whipped cream

Melt together caramel topping, butter and rum in a small saucepan until well combined.  Set aside.
 
Grill pineapple slices on both sides until caramelized and have nice grill marks. 
 
On a pretty plate, place a slice of pineapple, scoop gelato into center of ring, top with whipped cream, drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with toasted coconut.  AWESOME!

Spicy Szechuan Smoked Pork Belly

• 1 1/2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
• 2 small green cardamom pods - find these at Penzey's in the Strip District
•  1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 3 pound VERY lean pork belly (yes, I know this is an oxymoron)

Put the black and Szechuan peppercorns and the cardamom pods in a small coffee or spice grinder - or just crush them with a mortar & pestle. Remove to a small bowl, add the salt & sugar and mix well. Set aside.

Score both sides of the pork belly in a diamond pattern. Rub the peppercorn mixture evenly onto both sides of the meat. Use ALL of the rub. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. An hour before you're ready to smoke, take the meat out of the fridge to bring to room temp.

Prepare smoker as you normally would and soak smoker chips for at least an hour in water (wouldn't sake be nice instead of water?!) - I like hickory for this dish.

Once the smoker is ready to roll, unwrap the pork belly and place it on the smoker. We smoked this for about 4-5 hours - how long yours takes depends on you and your smoker.

Remove from heat when done, let rest 15 minutes and slice against the grain.

Serve on tacos or just by itself. Serve for breakfast or dinner. 
You will LOVE this one!

Grilled Pineapple, Mango and Ham Salads with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

What gorgeous weather! Finally! Mark and I have been spending every possible moment in the yard trying to weed, plant, mulch and water while conditions are just right. 

The window of yardwork opportunity always seems to be so narrow. Soon May thunderstorms begin to put a damper on outside chores, quickly followed by the scorching heat of summer. Once the temps and humidity rise, I'd rather be chilling by the pond than sweltering with a shovel.

One recent Sunday while we were busy outside, I baked a ham for for the evening's meal. Nobody had to fuss that night and there were plenty of leftovers for quick meals during the week. We gardened while dinner cooked. 

Later in the week, leftover ham made a light (yet somehow substantial) salad for dinner. We grilled up a few mango halves, pineapple spears and slices of ham and plated those on top of Romaine leaves. Fresh blackberries, smoked bleu cheese crumbles and an easy Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette put the finishing touch on our quick weeknight dinner. 

The time we saved on dinner? Yeah, we got back out into the yard for some weeknight weeding. Before the rain comes.

Grilled Pineapple, Mango and Ham Salads 

with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Serves 2

• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, cut into thick slices
• 1 mango, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, pit removed
• 2 thick slices ham
• 1/2 pint fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup smoked bleu cheese (or regular bleu cheese)
• Romaine leaves

Vinaigrette:

•  2 T. Meyer lemon juice (or 1 T. lemon juice and 1 T. orange juice)
• 1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 t. sugar
• 1/2 t. Dijon mustard
• 1 t. Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• pinch cayenne pepper

Grill ham, pineapple and mango until they develop some nice grill marks. Remove to plate.

On two plates, arrange Romaine and top with the fruits, sprinkle with bleu cheese. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve.

Vinaigrette: While everything is on the grill, whip together the vinaigrette ingredients!